


The Writing Process

by AgentMaryMargaretSkitz



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Timeship mention, Writers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24182791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentMaryMargaretSkitz/pseuds/AgentMaryMargaretSkitz
Summary: When Nora Darhk starts working on writing a book, she never thought she's wind up forming a friendship with the owner. Or start having feelings for him.
Relationships: Nora Darhk & Mona Wu, Nora Darhk/Ray Palmer
Comments: 11
Kudos: 16





	The Writing Process

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MrsNoraPalmer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsNoraPalmer/gifts).



> Happy Birthday to MrsNoraPalmer! I hope you're having a good day!
> 
> I ended whipping this together yesterday in a sprint fueled by coffee and tea and Hulu. Hope you enojy it!

An intoxicating scent of coffee beans and chocolate greeted Nora when she first entered the coffeeshop. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t as crowded as she had been expecting it to be for the evening. Most of the company seemed to be college students from the nearby campus, but she did catch sight of some who were a bit older. Nora watched them as she waited her turn to order, taking note of what they were studying or if they were just procrastinating. She concluded that it was an even mix by the time she got to front.

“Hi, what can I get you?”

Nora turned towards the man smiling at her from behind the counter. On his apron, there was a sun on his badge drawn next to the name Ray.

“Um,” her eyes were drawn upward towards the menu of the various drinks that were offered. There was a lot more to choose from than she had anticipated. “I’ll take a tall latte please.”

“Any shots?” Ray asked, pulling out a cup.

Nora shook her head.

“And you want this hot, right?” he asked as he looked down on the paper cup in his hand. “I always forget to ask if people want it hot or cold. And I need your name too.”

“Hot is fine,” Nora told him, digging for her wallet. “And it’s Nora. N-O-R-A.”

“Got it,” Ray yanked out a black marker and tried to write it, then frowned. “Ah, it died. Give me a second.”

Nora dug in her bag again and pulled out a pen. “Here, you can use mine.”

“It’s fine.”

“Just take it, I have plenty.”

Ray took the pen from her, scribbling her order and name on the side of the cup. Nora paid and Ray handed her the receipt and pen back. She only took the paper though. “Keep the pen. I have plenty.”

“Are you sure?” Ray asked, the pen hanging in his hand between them.

“Positive,” Nora assured him.

Ray smiled again. “Thanks. I’ll get your latte going, Nora.”

There was someone waiting behind her, so Nora headed off to wait for her coffee. Once she got the drink from Ray, she headed towards a table and took a seat. She pulled her notebook out of her bag, realized it was the wrong one, then grabbed the correct one. Grabbing a different pen, she began working on her story idea.

For the past few weeks, she had been telling herself to do this. There had been other ideas before, but now this one hadn’t left her head for weeks. When she’d told Mona and Gary about it, they’d both encouraged her to go for it. So she had spent part of the last weekend outlining a schedule for herself that would hopefully work out and leave her with a book at the end of it. She just needed to be here at least three times a week for an hour after finishing her prep work for her class.

An hour passed by quicker than she had expected. By the end of it, she had the general premise, three characters fleshed out in appearance, backstory, and plot arc, and the first part of the book planned. When the timer on her phone went off, Nora packed her things up. She got rid of the empty latte cup and headed for the door. Ray gave her a wave as she left. Nora raised her hand in farewell before pushing the door open and walking to her parked car.

Yeah, she was going to do this.

* * *

“How’s it going?”

A purple line shot across the rest of her page as the voice startled her. Nora looked up to see Ray wiping down the table across from her. She exhaled and set the pen down. There went the rest of the line to write down more on Josselyn’s actions in that chapter. This was why Mona told her to use pencil. Maybe she needed to buy more white-out strips.

“Sorry,” Ray apologized. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I’ve just been curious.”

“Curious?” Nora repeated, reaching for her cup only to remember it was practically empty.

Ray set the rag down. “You’ve been coming here for two weeks and I always see you writing in this corner table.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been watching me?”

“Yes, but I’m not trying to be creepy,” he promised. “It’s pretty late when you come in so there’s not a lot of other customers. I people-watch instead. You’re always so absorbed and working, and I keep wondering what’s going on. But I’m sorry if I’m creeping you out.”

“I’m used to being watched by other people,” Nora chuckled, setting the pen down. “Although they tend to be a lot smaller. You’re fine.”

“Oh,” Ray looked more relieved. “So…is it okay if I ask what you are doing?”

Nora exhaled slowly. “I’m trying to write a book.”

“Wow, you’re a writer?”

“Trying to be,” she admitted. “I got hit with an idea a while ago and I want to make it happen. So I’ve been coming here to work. It’s actually a pretty relaxing workspace.”

“Thanks,” Ray smiled. “I had a lot of good input about the design.”

Nora looked around at the space of tables and chairs with couches and coffee tables lining the walls filled with art. “You designed this?”

“Yeah, I kinda had to,” Ray scratched the back of his head. “I own part of it.”

“I thought you were just a barista,” Nora blurted out.

“I…did start out as one, but my friend and I went in together to start own our business here after the original business decided to move. We both still work here with everyone else. Rip’s got a good touch on baked goods, especially the gluten-free stuff.”

Nora smiled. “I almost got one of those muffins today. They looked good.”

“You should try one of his chicken and mushroom pasties,” Ray told her. “They’re the best! All his stuff is though. It depends on what you like.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Nora nodded, thinking about her cold leftovers waiting for when she got home.

The door at the entrance swung open for a group of college students. Ray looked disappointed as he said goodbye and headed over to take their order. Nora watched him go and went back to her story only for her timer to go off a minute later. With a whine, she pulled herself out of her seat, packed her bag, and headed for the door. Ray waved at her, and Nora raised her hand back. Their usual goodbye, but now there was something new.

“See you later, Nora!” Ray called.

“You too!” she replied as the door swung shut.

* * *

“I have good news!” Nora announced as she entered the library a few weeks later before school started.

“Your class got one hundred percent on their book quiz?” Mona asked.

“Yes, that happened,” Nora remembered, taking a seat at the table. “But I have other good news. I finished my outline.”

Mona’s face lit up and she clapped excitedly. “Yes! Nora, I’m so proud of you!”

“I am too. Now I just have to take that and write this thing and edit it, but I will finally have a book.”

“And you’ll let me read it?” Mona leaned forward. “Please, Nora? Please? Please, please, please?”

Nora had to grin at her eagerness. “Of course. You, Gary, and Ray all get to read it.”

“Who’s Ray?”

“He owns the coffeeshop that I’ve been doing all this planning at. There’s not a lot of traffic when I go, so we usually end up talking for a little while. That’s why it took a little longer to do the planning than I thought. But I still got it done.”

A slow smile spread across her friend’s face. “Aww, that’s kinda cute.”

“I know that face,” Nora stood up. “And slow down. We’re just friends.”

“So were Chandler and Monica.”

“School starts soon, I still have to put up announcements for my class,” Nora stood back up. “I’ll see you later, Mona. And don’t start overthinking this.”

“Okay, I won’t.”

* * *

“Tall latte, no shot?”

“Please and thank you.”

Ray grinned as he started working on her drink. “How was your day today?”

“My class seemed to get their math lesson today, but I’m going to have to see the homework tomorrow,” Nora told him. “Thanks for that idea about those magnets though. They really liked it.”

“No problem. What are you planning for tonight with the book?”

“Well, I’ve gotten the prologue completed, so it’s onto the first chapter.”

“And you’ll still let me read it?” Ray asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

“Absolutely,” she nodded. “How’d your day go?”

Ray passed her the latte. “You know how I told you about Rip and Gideon?”

“Oh, did something happen?”

“They got engaged.”

A couple entered, meaning their chat time was up for now. Ray looked a little disappointed. “I’ll come by in a few and tell you more.”

“Please,” Nora pleaded as she headed towards her table.

She took a seat at her usual place and pulled out her laptop and notebook. While she waited it for to power up, her eyes drifted over to where Ray was making the drinks for the pair who had come in after her. Mona’s words came back to her yet again. Ever since she’d said that a few weeks ago, Nora hadn’t been able to get it out of her head.

She did like Ray. That was easy enough for her to admit. If she didn’t have her hour time limit each time she visited, then she probably would have kept talking to him. Ray seemed to feel the same about her, at least that’s what she thought. She hoped she was getting the right message.

Nora shook her head. Nope, she did not come here to fall in love. The reason she had started coming was a peaceful place to write a book. She made a friend along the way. A friend who she talked with every time she came here and texted at least once a day since they’d exchanged numbers two weeks ago.

Groaning, Nora reminded herself to focus on her chapter. As she typed, her mind started to drift to other ideas that she’d had. There was one romance novel idea she’d gotten after reading a Rebecca Silver book with Mona. It had been a great idea, but she’d lost momentum and abandoned it. Although there were some great lines Nora had written and stuck on a Post-It note somewhere.

Just then, Ray came over and took the empty seat across from her. “Hey, sorry about that. You still want to hear about the engagement?”

Nora lowered her screen so she could see him better. “Lay it on me.”

* * *

“You got in my head!”

Mona whirled away from Gary as Nora stormed into the library. “What?”

“You got in my head about Ray!” she pointed a finger at her. “And now I can’t stop thinking about him!”

“Who’s Ray?” Gary asked while Mona stepped back.

“He’s a guy Nora met at the coffeeshop where she’s writing her book,” Mona explained. “Nora talks with him a lot. He also gets to read the book.”

“Neat!”

“No, not neat!” Nora huffed, taking a seat in Mona’s chair. “Mona was saying things and I might have feelings now and I don’t know what to do! Gary, help me.”

Gary frowned. “About what?”

“You’re the guidance counselor. Guide me.”

“I work with students! Ask Mona, she’s read the most romance novels.”

Nora groaned. “That reading of romance novels got me into this in the first place. Help me!”

Gary nodded in agreement, earning a glare from Mona. But then she looked at Nora and sighed.

“Nora, I probably shouldn’t have made that Mondler comment or my I-smell-romance face,” the librarian sighed. “But you definitely like him.”

“I know,” Nora pouted. “I don’t know if he likes me and I hate wondering it.”

“You told us he gave you his number,” Gary piped up. “Unless someone really wants to get to know you, then that doesn’t happen.”

“And he texts you after school or during your lunch breaks,” Mona reminded her. “Never when you’re working. You mentioned that once.”

“And didn’t he once save your favorite cookie for you last week?” Gary added.

“Okay, so maybe he does like me,” Nora agreed. “But why hasn’t he made the move?”

“He could be going through the same thing you are. Not sure if you like him or not? He does seem like the sensitive kind. That’s what he looks like to me at least.”

Nora narrowed her eyes. “Mona, what did you do?”

“I…might have gone to your coffeeshop last Sunday,” explained the other woman. “But it was only to see what he looked like. I wanted to make sure my best friend wasn’t going for some weirdo.”

“Okay…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Mona shook her head. “Nora, don’t wait for him to make the first move. You do it. Who wouldn’t want to go out with you?”

Nora smiled. “Okay. I’ll ask him when I finish the book.”

“And how close are you to that?” Gary asked. “Because you did set a goal.”

“Gary, it’s love!” Mona scolded. “She should do it the next time she goes!”

“I only have two more chapters, and then the epilogue,” Nora told them. “Then I’ll tell him. It’ll be just two weeks. A week and a half at best.”

Mona looked at her for a long minute, then nodded. “Good. But don’t chicken out.”

“I won’t, I swear.”

* * *

Two weeks passed, and Nora had finished the book. She still needed to edit it, but it was all there. Every day she had come in here over the past few months had been mostly productive. She managed to create something beautiful, at least in her eyes. Now, it was time to see if asking Ray on a date would be successful. Even if it wasn’t, she still had her book that she could be proud of.

However, Nora was shocked when she entered to see Ray was not behind the counter. Her heart sank a little.

“Hey,” she asked the barista behind the counter. “Do you happen to know if Ray is around?”

“Nora?”

She turned around to see Ray, sans apron, coming out of the kitchen.

“Ray?” Nora stepped towards him. “Hey, I thought you were working tonight.”

“I was actually going to take tonight off. Plus, Behrad is starting out and he was happy to take a low-stress shift.”

“Oh,” Nora nodded. “So, I know we’ve been friends for a while since I’ve been coming here. And even though my first draft of the book is done, I still have more to work on. But I decided to take tonight off since it’s Friday.”

“You deserve the break. You’ve been putting in so much hard work to it.”

“Thanks. Although I still wanted to come here tonight to ask you if you wanted…if you would like to go out on a date with me sometime?”

Ray chuckled. “You’re asking me on a date?”

“That was the intention.”

“That’s funny,” Ray chuckled again, shaking his head. “I actually wanted to ask you out tonight once you finished the draft.”

Now Nora had to giggle. “So we were both waiting to ask each other out?”

“It appears so. Have you had dinner yet?”

“Nope. But I do know a place with gluten-free options.”

“I already like the sound of that.”

Nora held out her hand. “It’s just down the street. Shall we?”

Ray took it with a smile. “To our date, my lady.”

* * *

_Four months later_

“What about this one?”

Nora looked up at the book in Ray’s hand. “Already have it in my classroom. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Ray told her as he paged through it. “The illustrations are great.”

“And it’s a great story. My kids love it.”

“They’re lucky to have a good teacher.”

Nora grinned as she leaned into her boyfriend. “Hey, I’ve got some good news for you.”

“Yeah? What about?”

She reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope. “Remember when I sent my book to those publishers?”

“You were so nervous about it,” Ray reminisced. “You were panicking to me afterwards.”

“Mona and Gary already know about it, which is why we are here at the bookstore,” Nora explained as she passed him over the envelope. “Now it’s your turn.”

Mona was shooting her a thumbs up from the aisle of romance novels. Gary wasn’t paying attention as he added another book to his stack. He started heading for the corner as a man on the other side was walking the same way. Nora bit her finger as they collided, and books tumbled to the ground. She didn’t get to watch the fallout though before Ray swept her up in a hug.

“They want to publish your book?”

“They do!” Nora squealed, hugging him back. “I have to set up an interview to talk more but it’s a huge step!”

“I’m so proud of you,” Ray sighed happily. “My girlfriend is an author!”

Nora laughed. “An almost published author is what you mean.”

“Still an author.”

“Well, if I hadn’t come to your coffeeshop, I wouldn’t have written the thing,” Nora shrugged, glancing over at where Mona was actively watching Gary and the man he’d run into talk about a book he was holding. “I wouldn’t have done it without you or them.”

“It was all you, Nora.”

“But I had support,” She leaned up and kissed her boyfriend. “I love you, Ray.”

“I love you too. My girlfriend, the teacher and author.”

Nora snickered and leaned into him. “Is that how you’re going to introduce me from now on?”

“Maybe.”

**Author's Note:**

> And there you go. Happy birthday again!


End file.
